


Christmas in Grad School

by gingayellow



Category: Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-30
Updated: 2013-12-30
Packaged: 2018-01-06 16:50:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1109226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gingayellow/pseuds/gingayellow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jin is alone with his 3DS on winter break, at least until he finds a fellow grad student not coping with homesickness in the library. [RyuuMasa, grad school AU]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Christmas in Grad School

**Author's Note:**

> AU. Christmas fic~ For hc_bingo, prompt is 'homesickness.'

Title: Christmas in Grad School  
Fandom: Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters  
Characters/Pairing: Iwasaki Ryuuji/Jin Masato  
Rating: PG-13  
Disclaimer: Not mine, anything mentioned here by name isn't mine  
Warnings: None  
Notes: AU. Christmas fic~ For hc_bingo, prompt is 'homesickness.'

Jin had no one to blame but himself.

He’d made plans to head to Stone Canyon and goof off as early as November. But then Arakawa’s dad was able to come home early from his business trip after all, and like any other grad student at the end of the semester, she was flat broke. So was Jin, but he had a bus ticket and there was no way he could have enjoyed himself while knowing that she was missing her folks.

“And that’s how I became the one student still on campus for winter break,” Jin said to his 3DS. Mario was too busy being killed by Bowser to offer him any sympathy.

But it wasn’t all bad, Jin supposed. Angel Grove University was really quiet with no undergrads around, and he could take up all the space he wanted at the computer lab. And since graduate housing was pretty much empty now as well, he could play his music and games on full volume without worrying about pissing off any colleagues. And he _definitely_ wasn’t missing his family or anyone else from his ‘wonderful’ high school days.

Still, he was lonely. And bored.

Well, maybe if he ate, he’d be less lonely. It was too early for dinner, but there was a snack machine in the library lounge (which he’d decided to visit, because while the few librarians on duty were too busy for chit-chat, it was still better than being _completely_ alone so close to Christmas). Jin snapped his 3DS shut, got out from his seat, and that was when he heard sniffling.

Which was weird, because he could have sworn that he was the only one there. He looked around, but nope, no one seemed to be there… wait, no, there was a really tall guy about his age hunched over one of the crappy library computers. Feeling obtrusive but also aware that if this guy was breaking down alone in a library, just a few days away from Christmas, he probably didn’t have anyone else to confide in, Jin approached the stranger cautiously. “Um, hello?” When he jumped, Jin hastily added, “It’s just that you were kinda sorta crying, and I’m cool with that, but I just—“

“No. I’m the one who should be apologizing.” He wiped at his eyes quickly, and then tried very hard to smile. “You must be Jin.”

“How do you know my name?”

“Because Professor Kuroki is always chewing you out between classes.”

“Oh. Fair enough.” But if this guy knew that much about the prof, then… “Oh, so you must be one of the new engineering students we got back in August!”

He nodded. “Ryuuji Iwasaki. This is my first year of grad school.”

Jin was about to ask him what his concentration was in, but Ryuuji was sniffling again. “And I’m guessing that it’s also your first break away from home?”

“Yes.” Ryuuji huffed. “I’m twenty-eight; you’d think I’d be past homesickness.”

“Pfft. If you makes you feel better, I cried when I forgot to save all my progress in Mario 3D Land last night. You win when it comes to maturity.” To his relief, Ryuuji laughed at that, a little.

“It’s just…” Ryuuji glanced down at his hands. “I miss my grandfather. And my siblings. I call them all the time, but it’s not quite the same.”

“I see what you mean.” He’d never quite understand needing a family that bad, but Jin did understand loneliness. And maybe he could do something about it…

“Hey. It’s kinda early for dinner, but there’s this juice bar in town that makes pretty decent smoothies. It’s usually crawling with teenagers, but not this time of year. We could maybe go and clear our heads. My treat?”

Ryuuji gave him a look, and then smiled for real. “Yes. That actually sounds like a good idea.”

“Great, let’s go!” Well, so much for being alone for the holidays.


End file.
